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A Quarantine Process

A QUARANTINE PROCESS FOR FISH

There are almost as many different quarantine processes as there are aquarists in the hobby for more than 10 years. About the only thing there are more of are uninformed hobbyists who claim a quarantine is bad for fish, or who don't want to spend the time, or inaccurately claim not all fish can or should be quarantined, or who don't want to spend the $40. for a quarantine kit, or who don't believe it is necessary, or who believe that a healthy fish can survive any disease or parasite.

We, the Old Guard, for the most part know better. I wrote . . .more than 10 years because if you've been in the hobby that long, you've come to realize that performing a quarantine process is essential to good marine husbandry. The smarter aquarists know this from the outset and began using a quarantine process from the first day in the hobby! :thumbs:

What good is a quarantine process? There's a whole list that a quarantine process will:
1) Further acclimate the fish to captive life without being bothered by other fishes;
2) Get the fish to eat without it 'running away' and hiding;
3) Get the fish on the right foods and nutrients;
4) Allow the fish to eat without competition;
5) Give the fish a chance to recognize and become acclimated to the aquarist;
6) Give the fish a chance to heal any capture or travel injury or trauma;
7) Give the fish a chance to recover from any condition or disease;
8) Prepare the fish for a more competitive life in the community/reef tank; and
9) Protect the health of the display tank livestock.

Maybe you can think of more advantages/benefits of a quarantine process? I think the best phrase I have ever seen another person post was, "Quarantine provides a new fish, sanctuary."

It may sound corny but ultimately -- The only thing you want to add to the marine system is the fish (as opposed to parasites, pathogens, and disease).

Most aquarists as I do, have an emotional investment with the fishes in the display tank. There is a money investment too. A new fish bringing disease into the display that kills other fish can be a significant loss of monies. But for me the far greater loss is the loss of fish life for failing to protect the display fishes from new arrivals bringing in disease. Ultimately, the quarantine process is a stress reducer not an added stress to a new fish.

Even though only about 1/3 novices and less experienced hobbyists perform a quarantine process, it is a process performed by all marine livestock professionals (e.g., fish vets, public and private aquarium management).

I disagree with the above article on one point: Length of time to hold a fish in quarantine. Four weeks is too short of time. I recommend to quarantine no less than 6 weeks. Professionals may quarantine fishes 3 or 4 weeks, but they take scrapings and/or clippings of the fish and perform microscopic examinations to identify the presence or absence of parasites and disease. Since I don't expect the average marine aquarist to do this, 6 weeks in quarantine is the minimum I recommend.

This post is to outline my quarantine process in the context of the acquisition of a new fish; and to further detail some aspects of my quarantine process. Use it all or as much as you want, if you like what I do. Keep in mind that I can't/won't recommend anything less than this. Let's jump into the water. . .

NOTE: Only quarantine one fish at a time.

The Quarantine process, abbreviated and in outline form:

Equipment and Supplies (The basic setup is often available as a 'special' package)

Properly sized bare-bottomed tank (about 5-7 gallons for every inch of fish, longer and shallow for fish like tangs that travel distances); this is the quarantine tank (QT)

Lighting (enough for the fish to see their food, at least)

Heater

Simple Sponge Filter (corner filter) -- one per 15-20 gallons of water; with air pump and air tubing

Measuring devices: BUY the refractometer (forget using a hydrometer for hyposalinity treatments, which you're likely going to have to do sometime if you stay in this hobby more than a couple of years), thermometer, pH meter (if you can afford $60-80 for a handheld field meter), etc.

RO/DI or distilled water and your favorite artificial salt mix. Do not use tap water in the QT or display tank.

Optionally, a substrate of clean and pure silica sand is okay ONLY IF you will quarantine a fish that MUST dig into the sand. Some silica sands are contaminated with carbonates and they must not be used.

The sponge filter should be in the display system (e.g., sump) and running all the time to be seeded with nitrifying bacteria to be the biological filter for the QT. It takes about 4 to 8 weeks for the sponge to be ready to serve as the QT biological filter.

Prepare and keep on hand saltwater made from artificial salts -- all future water changes will use this water not display tank water.

[NOTE: if the QT will not be used within a couple of days, the aquarist should keep the biological filter going by adding food to the QT and not removing it (see After Use below). Just before fish is added, siphon off any leftover foods and detritus. Just before adding fish, perform again the above (and 1. below) series of water quality tests.]

Hold water quality constant and good.
(IF the biological/sponge filter was not seeded or it stops working during a treatment, control ammonia and nitrites by large water changes OR use chemical absorbents (e.g., Algone) so long as the chemicals won't and don't interfere with any medication. Make water changes whenever any ammonia is detected; make water changes when 0.05 ppm or more nitrite is detected when quarantine is performed on fish.)

Make adjustments to water daily to hold water test results in their proper range and to keep them steady (Make adjustments more often (2-3 times per day) if the biological filter is not or stops functioning.)

Remove uneaten foods 1 hour after each feeding time.

Make 50% or larger water changes every week or more frequently -- assuming no treatment is being administered. Follow good water change techniques. (If a treatment is administered, change water according to medication instructions. If water changes are needed during treatment and the treatment isn't over, medication must be added back to the QT water to keep medication at a constant, recommended concentration.)

After Use

The QT can remain running, with food (0.5 gram frozen food per 20 gallons) added every other day to keep the biological filter running,
OR
Return sponge filter (if not treated with copper meds) to display tank system (e.g., sump) and keep it running until needed again.
Tare down the QT; wash and rinse it out thoroughly according to this post: QT Clean Up.

Things Not To Do/Use1. Don't use live rock in a QT. It may seem like a 'short cut' for a biological filter, but you won't be able to treat the fish with medications -- most fish treatments will turn the live rock into base rock. In addition, LR poses a pollution source that the QT should not have to contend with. Lastly, LR encourages the new fish to resort to old habits of finding food in/on/around the LR. You don't want this. You want the fish to learn as soon as possible, and right from the beginning, to get its food from YOU.
2. Don't use any carbon or general absorbing media -- it will interfere with any medication you might want to administer.
3. Avoid the use of any 'high-end' filtration system. Stick with a simple sponge filter. The benefits include: easy to move it into and from the display system for keeping it alive; it has no intake to injure a fish; it gently moves the water's surface; and doesn't create too much of a current. Your best control over water quality will be testing and making water changes. HOWEVER, if you do have to use a medication in the QT, then you might need carbon to remove the medication.
4. Don't use any powerheads or strong currents. For a fish that is acclimating, intakes can be a danger. In the QT, the water doesn't have to move fast for marine fishes. The corner sponge filter (see 3. above) is good enough for circulation. A low circulation better allows the hobbyists to remove uneaten foods and to siphon off wastes without a filter gathering them up and them continuing to pollute the water. Siphoning wastes will keep the wastes well under control. Putting wastes in a filter just puts them in a another place to do their polluting.
5. Don't count upon any of those products that say they will start your tank's biological filter by adding bacteria. They usually won't help you and since you may be using medication, they definitely won't be able to help. When you use medication, many of the bacteria will die or just fail to come out of their dormant state.
6. Don't attempt to quarantine multiple fishes.
6.a If you would like a pair of anemonefishes, for instance, either use two quarantine tanks or quarantine them one at a time. There's no rush and there's absolutely no need to put them into your display at the same time.
6.b One problem with putting multiple fishes through the same quarantine is that one fish can have a disease and give it to the rest. Now you're treating fish that weren't ill to begin with. Or. . .The nightmare: Every fish in the QT can have a different disease or condition and they require different treatments. It's not worth the trouble, risk, or likely loss.
6.c Another problem is that putting multiple fishes through quarantine defeats many of the above listed benefits of using a quarantine process. Check out that list. Which of the listed benefits of using a quarantine process would be lost if multiple fishes were in the QT?
7. Don't assume everything is fine. Keep checking the water quality and especially pH. A water change can mend a world of hurts!

If fish does not require treatment, continue to monitor the fish in the QT for 6 weeks.

If fish was treated, then hold fish in QT for 4-6 weeks AFTER the cure is finished and the medication (if any) was removed from the QT water.

After the QT time, the fish is bagged and acclimated to the display tank water according to the proper procedure. (NOTE: this could be a shorted/abbreviated acclimation IF the QT water is very close in quality and chemistries as the display tank water).

ENJOY YOUR HEALTHY FISH IN ITS NEW HOME!

I have done the above (or a version of the above) for more than 35 years now. For over 35 years my display tanks have been free of parasites, disease microbes, flukes, intestinal worms, etc., etc. Together with reduced stress the fish will live a long and healthy life (oldest one is now 17 years old). The above may look daunting or arduous, but it was written in great detail for those who enjoy the details. Once the aquarist has the equipment, it is an easy process. Doing this has a great payback!

Feel free to ask for any explanation for why I do any of the above, or ask if you have any questions.

Last edited by leebca; 11-06-2007 at 09:38 AM.
Reason: Added new Number 4

I've kept two clowns in my 10 g Q-tank since last Thursday. I've noticed tonight that they rubbed their bodies against the plastic pipes occasionlly. Can I dose the Methylene Blue direct into the tank? Awaiting your expert advices, please.

If the fish are suffering from a disease or parasite that is affecting their ability to breath, or are causing other symptoms such as flashing (scratching against things in the tank), then the Methylene Blue is not a help or a fix. It is always best to address the cause of the fish's irritation.

Review the water quality by performing the usual series of test kit tests. If all check out fine, watch the fish closely for any signs of disease. The likely two possibilities are brooklynellosis and/or an infection of Marine Ich.

Each is treated differently. So taking any action without further proper diagnosis is premature.

Lee,
Thank you for the step by step quarantine process, it is wonderful to have a post that shows the entire process in one place.

I like many novices skipped this necessary part of the acclimation process until I introduced ich into my display tank, lost a few fish and had to scramble to set up a large enough quarantine to house my surviving fish. At that time I had to do a lot of searching to find all the answers to my questions about this process. It is great that people will now be able to find it here all in one post.

I also read your post on the fresh water dip you provided the link to in this post and that is where my question arises from.

My newest acquisition is just beginning week #5 in quarantine. Currently the tank is at hyposalinity levels as the fish developed a couple of white specs after being in the QT a week that I feel were ich. However, due to lack of knowledge (which you just rectified) and a little fear of the freshwater dip I did not do this step.

I've been asked that more times than you can imagine. The value (in fact) of the dip is the fish going into a new place/environment. The dip performed in this transition 'cleans' the fish off of any 'hitchhikers' that can't stand freshwater.

Now that the fish is in the QT, this opportunity has passed. However, the fish will be going into your display, I assume. This presents you with another 'transfer' opportunity. You have a second chance to FW dip the fish going from its QT into its new and final home. You can and should perform the FW dip at that stage.

I like writing in detail. Some people think it's too much detail. However for myself, I prefer too much information rather than guessing at it. Since I usually don't see such topics written in this level of detail and since I've figured out the details over the decades in the hobby, I thought to write everything I've learned to help you and others who don't have the advantage of having experience or knowledge.

Lee,
One more question (for now). I will be taking down my QT soon, as I am going on vacation a couple of times in August and do not want to burden my kids with maintaining 4 tanks (3 will be plenty). I will be setting the QT back up in the fall to get some gobies and blennies.

My question is regarding the sponge that I used to seed my QT. I read somewhere that all items used in the QT should be kept seperate (not used on any of the display tanks). So the sponge I currently have in the QT, should I just throw it away and put a new one in my sump to start seeding for when I set the QT back up? Or is there someway to sterilize the sponge prior to putting it in the sump?

If the quarantine process was done correctly and the filter was in the QT during the process and any curing/treatment, and the fish were cured or passed through quarantine, then the sponge is just as disease-free as the fish were that came out of the QT into the display. If you have any doubt about its quality, discard it. They aren't that expensive. Technically though, if the above is true for the filter, just put the filter back into the sump or display system to keep it seeded.

If you do choose to buy a new sponge filter, get it now and put it into the sump or display system and keep it running while you are on vacation, so it is seeded when you need it.

Need Clarification

Lee,

I need some clarification on the QT process. I will be setting up several QT tanks in the next coming weeks and I want to use hyposalinity in them. (ie, 1.012-1.014). I posed this question on another popular forum and the mod did not agree with the use of hyposalinity. Said there was no appreciable evidence that it works, and it only stresses out the fish.

Is this true??

I will be QTing several large angelfish, golden butterflies, and a naso tang. Since this will be a major investment to my tank, I want to make sure this SG level will NOT harm the fish BEFORE they are purchased. I am trying to come up with a game plan on how to properly set up the QT tanks.

Nick just took his new angel out of Hypo & it is doing well, I would think Hypo would hurt or kill corals or Inverts but Fish I doubt they would even be bothered by lower salinity If you lower it slowly as required. I think he went down to 1.009 not .012

Kirk,
I have done hypo a few times with no problems, but as scooty mentioned at 1.009. You can take it down pretty quickly (24-48hours) but should slowly raise it back up (over a week).

Once I even aclimated an angel straight into a hypo environment as the QT was already hypo. I took some extra time doing it but had no problems.

However, I did ask Lee once why not just start at a lower SG since it seemed that I was always having to treat for ich anyway. I figured this would save a lot of salt. He stated you should start at normal SG and and see what develops. That the hypo might actually supress other symptoms and if you did end up having to treat for something that required meds the time it would take to get the SG back up before adding the meds could be a big problem.

If I were you I would start at normal SG and only move to hypo if needed (except I would likely go ahead and hypo the tang after a few weeks if no other symptoms show just to ensure the ich magnet was clean)

I would suggest initially running your QT tanks at 1.023 and see if something develops as Kristfal suggested. In my case, the angel was purchased with a severe case of Ich, so it immediately went into hyposalinity in a small QT.

BTW, just as a general FYI, I dont recommend knowingly buying sick fish. In this specific case, the fish was still eating, I've got some experiance with angels, and this particular one was still showing healthy behavior patterns, so I felt confidant I could bring the fish back to good health. Each situation is different, and what worked out for me may not work out for others, and should not attempted by less experianced hobbyists.

That anyone would claim that hyposalinity doesn’t work is quite funny. If they are that uninformed, you’d best not take their advice. Hyposalinity ‘kills’ (or better put – stresses to death) the one type of parasite – the ciliated Cryptocaryon irritans known to cause the disease we call Marine Ich.

Kirk,

Do not treat any fish for anything they don’t have. As stated above, hypo only addresses on single parasite. You do know there are hundreds of different ailments of Marine fishes, right? If you launch a procedure to treat everything for just one condition, what will you do when the fish exhibits another problem – one where hyposalinity would interfere with the proper treatment?

Don’t go in that direction. Quarantine is important. If all your fish have been exposed to Marine Ich, then they should all be treated. But newly acquired fish should be quarantined to see IF they need any treatment or special care for any unwanted parasite, pathogen or hitchhiker, along with all the other reasons given in the above post.

I give only two exceptions to the above guidance – Anemonefish. and Tangs of the Acanthurus Family.

Last comment. . .Use 1.008 to 1.0010 as the target specific gravity (or 11 ppt) when you perform the hyposalinity treatment.